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Planning commission finds South Brooksville redevelopment plan consistent with city comprehensive plan and forwards recommendation
Summary
After a presentation by consultants from Inspire Placemaking, the commission recommended that City Council find the South Brooksville Community Redevelopment Area plan consistent with the city comprehensive plan; consultants highlighted five priorities including housing, flooding, economic development and mobility, and noted outreach metrics and next steps for CRA formation under Florida Statutes Chapter 163, Part III.
The Planning & Zoning Commission reviewed the draft South Brooksville Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) plan and voted to recommend that City Council find the plan consistent with the City of Brooksville comprehensive plan.
Eric Breadfelt and Julia Clark of Inspire Placemaking presented background, outreach and the plan'9s priorities. Breadfelt summarized the statutory process for creating a CRA under Chapter 163, Part III of the Florida Statutes and said the consultant team completed a finding of necessity and that Hernando County'9s planning commission had already unanimously approved the county finding. The consultants described the CRA study area as just under 700 acres and said the plan lays out a tax‑increment financing approach for the 40‑year time horizon contained in the draft plan.
Julia Clark outlined five priority areas that guided the plan: housing (including addressing heirs' property and title issues, rehabilitating existing stock and encouraging diverse affordable housing types); flooding and stormwater (prioritizing external funding and smaller drainage investments); community building and neighborhood improvements (historic preservation and recreation); economic development (supporting local businesses and workforce connections); and mobility and connectivity (pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, bus stop ADA accessibility and linkages to the Good Neighbor Trail).
Consultants reported public‑engagement metrics of three workshops at the South Brooksville Community Center, a live project website with 255 visitors, 39 contributors to a survey/interactive map and 155 document downloads; they said the CRA will be able to pursue funding and projects through tax‑increment financing if created by agreement between city and county.
Commissioners asked about heirs' property/title work, whether the CRA could acquire or condemn properties, and how the CRA board would be constituted. Staff and consultants said the CRA could be given powers under Chapter 163, including the ability to buy and sell land and, depending on powers delegated by the creating entities, potentially exercise eminent‑domain authorities; consultants said a joint CRA between the city and county is being pursued and state code requires a five‑member CRA board. The commission moved to recommend the CRA plan is compatible with the city comprehensive plan; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.
Next steps noted in the discussion include finalizing the legal description in the plan materials, forming the CRA legal entity through joint action of the city and county, and returning to City Council and Hernando County for formal adoption and implementation steps.
